ANISA was designed by a large international team and is led by pre-eminent scientists in Bangladesh. Notably, the Child Health Research Foundation, based in Dhaka Shishu (Children’s) Hospital, controls the purse-strings, and has contracted leading institutions and scientists from the CDC, the World Health Organization, Aga Khan University, and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, for expert input.

Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Division of Women and Child Health with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organizes a series of seminars on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) and nutrition.

KARACHI: The Aga Khan University on Tuesday announced to launch Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CIME) with state-of-the-art resources for national and regional medical education. The foundation ceremony was celebrated at the building’s site on AKU’s Stadium Road campus.

The new centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and human patient simulation tools, providing a safe, risk-free environment where medical, nursing and allied health students as well as health care professionals will be able to master everything from routine procedures to complex new techniques before they move on to real patients.
“CIME will provide a modern, stimulating atmosphere equal to the excellence of our students and their extraordinary potential” said Dr Farhat Abbas, Dean of the Medical College.

CIME’s global reach will help to transform undergraduate, post graduate and continuing medical education programmes within Pakistan to as far away as Central Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. Covering 80,000 square feet of new space, CIME will be located adjacent to the Rufayda Al Aslamiya Building and will be connected to the existing School of Nursing and Midwifery Skills Lab. Construction is expected to take two years allowing the building to welcome its ?rst occupants in 2015. The building will cost US$15 million and is entirely funded by local and foreign philanthropists willing to invest in higher education. staff report

The Aga Khan Development Network has announced plans to embark on constructing a university with branches across East Africa.

Mr Firoz Rasul, the president of the Aga Khan University of East Africa, said the institution will train local human resource and open centres of excellence in each member state so that they stop sending their students to abroad.

Speaking at a cocktail on Monday, Mr Rasul said the university will have its main campus at Arusha, Tanzania while other member states will have regional centres of excellence. “We shall have the Nairobi School for Media Studies training editors and journalists because there is a general feeling that we need to start training better journalists.

We already have a nursing school in Uganda and we are looking for more land for expansion,” he said. He added: “The Arusha campus will specialise in law, management, tourism and the school of government and public policy. We are opening a teaching hospital in Nairobi.”

Mr Rasul also said the EAC member states have international obligations, but unfortunately without local lawyers to negotiate on their behalf.

Mr Joseph Mwizerwa, the principal, of Aga Khan University, said the institution will be built and administered within East Africa unlike the mother university in Pakistan. “The new understanding is to ensure that programmes are headquartered in East Africa, run by East Africans for the region,” Mr Mwizerwa said.

KARACHI - The Aga Khan University (AKU) will organise a dissemination seminar on environmental degradation and its contribution to human health on Tuesday.
Speakers would talk about environment related issues, including hospital waste management, lead poisoning in Pakistan, health burden of arsenic in underground water and its mitigation efforts along river Indus in Sind, environmental legislation and policies.
The awareness event on environmental degradation and health impacts would also be addressed by University of Alabama at Birmingham (United Kingdom) professor Dr Nalini Sathiakumar. He would talk on the topic titled “Journey in South Asia-Lead Poisoning in Pakistan: The Silent Epidemic”.
AKU Vice-Chairman and Professor Dr Muhammad Masood Kadir would talk on the issue of “Prenatal lead exposure in Pakistan: A prelude to intervention”.
Meanwhile, AKU Associate Professor Dr Zafar Fatmi would talk on the issue of arsenic in underground water and its mitigation efforts along river Indus in Sind.
Sind Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Waqar Hussain Phulpoto would talk on another important issue titled “Hospital Waste Management”.
EPA’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Expert Imran Sabir would discuss the topic “Environmental Legislation and Policies - IEE and EIA”.

Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea
Published April 12, 2013
Executive summary
The Lancet Series on Childhood Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, led by Aga Khan University, Pakistan, provides evidence for integrated control efforts for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea. The first paper assesses the global burden of these two illnesses, comparing and contrasting them, and includes new estimates of severe disease and updated mortality estimates for 2011. Findings from the second paper show that a set of highly cost-effective interventions can prevent most diarrhoea deaths and nearly two thirds of pneumonia deaths by 2025, if delivered at scale. Furthermore, the paper estimates what the cost of scale up will be. The third paper presents the results of consultations with several hundred frontline workers in high-burden countries and explores the barriers and enablers they face in dealing with these two diseases and potential ways forward. The final paper represents a call to action and discusses the global and country-level remedies needed to eliminate preventable deaths from these illnesses by 2025. Comments

the University’s future plans to establish a
principle campus in Arusha boosting the city’s
vision of being the regional hub for East Africa

Coastweek-- Aga Khan University (AKU) has officially opened the Aga Khan Health Centre in Arusha. Located on Seth Benjamin Street, within the central business district, the Health Centre is a modern facility that offers high quality health care services.

These include physician consultations, a wide range of diagnostic services including a CT scanner, ultra sound, a modern laboratory and pharmacy.

This Centre was established last year in June 2012 as a first step to AKU’s major presence in Arusha and in Tanzania.

Honorable Stanslaus Mageso Mulongo the Regional Commissioner in Arusha was Chief Guest at the opening ceremony that was presided over by Mr Firoz Rasul President of AKU.

The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, diplomats, members of the East African secretariat, corporates, donors, prominent citizens and members of staff.

Honourable Mulongo noted that the Aga Khan Health Clinic in Arusha is a much needed service and a bench mark for high quality health care in the region.

He further noted that AKU is planning to establish a hospital in its principal campus site that will provide quality service for specialised and critical care at internationals standards.

The hospital will be a welcome facility that will enable the residents of Arusha and beyond access world class care, a much needed service in the region.

The Regional Commissioner commended His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor of the Aga Khan University for his immense contribution to the development of education, healthcare, culture, infrastructure development, economic growth, and tourism not only in Arusha but in Tanzania, East Africa and beyond.

He applauded the University’s future plans to establish a principle campus in Arusha boosting the city’s vision of being the regional hub for East Africa.

He concluded by noting that the substantial investment by Aga Khan University in Arusha will create new jobs, economic activity and educational opportunities and the Government is open to new investment to help develop the Arusha Region.

In his welcome remarks Mr. Firoz Rasul said that the Arusha campus will be a new community with a vibrant educational center that will nurture the region’s future leadership.

The project will involve the development of academic and research facilities; student residences and amenities; a library; student centre and auditorium; sports facilities; a new hospital, a school as well as housing and amenities for faculty and staff.

The campus will house the Faculty of Arts and Sciences that will offer undergraduate and graduate studies in a merit-based and interdisciplinary educational programme tailored to the opportunities and challenges of contemporary East Africa.

Graduate professional schools in Law; Media and Communications; Tourism and Leisure; Management; Government and Public Policy; Architecture and Human Settlement; and Economic Growth and Development will also be established.

Currently the Aga Khan University is working with the Regional and District Commissioners on a Regional Plan to improve the infrastructure of the Arusha Region, including roads, water management, community facilities, and public amenities.

AKU is also cooperating with Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology to develop the Arusha region as a higher education hub for East Africa.

Emphasizing on AKU’s long term commitment in the region, Mr. Rasul said that the University plans to invest over USD 1 billion towards establishing its campuses throughout the region adding more than 10,000 new jobs to the current 2000 already working for the Aga Khan University in East Africa.

He concluded by thanking the donors, corporate, non-governmental organisations, partners and the government of Tanzania for their continued support towards making AKUs vision a reality.

AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY - Founded by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1983, the University’s objective is “to be on the frontiers of scientific and humanistic knowledge” while inspiring students to be independent learners and researchers imbued with a spirit of service and respect for others.

In the 26 years since its founding, Aga Khan University’s major focus has been in the fields of health and education.

For the decades ahead the University plans to step beyond success in these areas and become a more diversified university, both geographically and scholastically.

The University currently has programmes in eight countries spread over three continents.

In East Africa, the University offers Advanced Nursing Studies programmes in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; and Postgraduate Medical Education in Kenya and Tanzania.

These programmes are supported by a 250-bed teaching hospital, the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.

The Institute for Educational Development, East Africa offers Master of Education degrees and certificate courses out of Dar es Salaam.

A Faculty of Health Sciences and a Graduate School of Media and Communication have been established in Nairobi whilst the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will be established in Arusha as well as in Karachi.

The University is also part of the Aga Khan Development Network, with links to institutions that can apply the University’s creative solutions in the field.

the network is a group of development agencies with mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities.

KARACHI: The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) has launched the first Anticoagulation Therapy Clinic in Pakistan.

Clinic will ensure effective management of patients on blood thinning medications. “Every day we have new patients with heart and blood diseases, many need to be placed on drugs that thin the blood,” said Dr Bushra Moiz, an associate professor of haematolgy.

At the patient awareness session held on Wednesday, she said the main objective was to provide the patient education and make timely interventions.

Friday, May 31, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY HENRY KIBIRA
DOCTORS at the Aga Khan University Hospital have devised a new technique for imaging the inside of blocked heart arteries.

If fully rolled out, the latest initiative is expected to save patients with artery disorders as they will not have to undergo a rigorous surgical operation.

Mzee Ngunga, one of the doctors in charge said through a procedure known as Intravascular Ultrasound, the medics use a special tool which allows them to see the inside of the heart artery and take pictures which are analysed.

“This helps to determine the amount of blood clot in the vessel and the degree of narrowing. It also guides the doctor to establish the most appropriate method to treat the diseased vessel,” Ngunga said.

He said patients suffering from the condition will now take a shorter time to recover and get discharged from hospital. Patients whose arteries narrow tend to have blood clots, a situation that leads to heart attacks and eventual death if not urgently treated.

“After the procedure the patient can walk around in about an hour without any discomfort in contrast to surgery where the patient is confined to the intensive care unit for up to one week,” Ngunga said.

“The advancement comes at the most opportune time for doctors because they will use this procedure to improve the treatment of patients with heart attacks."

Ngunga said the initiative will enable them achieve good results while undertaking complex procedures which involve putting stents (mesh tubes) in the arteries. In this process, accuracy is paramount. “The traditional approach to the treatment of blocked and narrowed heart arteries is the use of bypass surgery,” he said.

“This new technique is a great method to treat blocked or narrowed arteries but it cannot be performed immediately and completed in a few minutes as needed for patients with heart attacks.” The number of patients suffering from coronary artery disease is fast rising.

Coastweek -- Heart specialists at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi have performed first key-hole operation to treat hypertension in the region.

Hypertension (more commonly known as ‘high blood pressure’) is the most important preventable risk factor for premature death worldwide.

The new operation which may have the potential to cure hypertension, or high blood pressure, was introduced by doctors at the Heart and Cancer Centre (HCC) of the Aga Khan University Hospital.

For the first time in Kenya, the doctors used Renal Denervation Therapy on a patient with treatment-resistant hypertension.

Dr. Mohamed Jeilan, co-Director of Cardiac Services at the HCC, and an Interventional Cardiologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, led the team of specialists who performed the ground-breaking operation.

“Hypertension is an important disease and until recently, could only be managed by taking regular medication.

“At the moment, medication is taken for life because the prospect of a definitive cure has been missing.

“It is now known that high blood pressure can be caused by faulty signals transmitted by hyperactive renal nerves between the brain and the kidneys.

Coastweek -- Dr. Mohamed Jeilan, co-Director of Cardiac Services at the HCC, and an Interventional Cardiologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, led the team of specialists who performed the ground-breaking operation.

“Renal Denervation Therapy is a treatment designed to silence these nerves and in so doing prevent high blood pressure.

“The treatment involves just one puncture incision on the right side of the groin.

“A thin and flexible tube called a catheter is introduced into the blood vessels which supply the kidneys.

“A small wire is passed into the blood vessel and carries enough energy to ‘freeze’ the nerves around the vessel.

“It takes about forty minutes to complete the treatment (twenty minutes for each kidney) and the patient is left with just one tiny scar.

“Research results published in The Lancet have shown that patients who had the procedure saw their blood pressure drop by around 20 per cent with the blood pressure seeming to fall continuously even after two years.

“Renal denervation therapy may be among the most important developments in the care of heart patients in the last fifty years.”

Patients who have the new operation will not necessarily stop all their blood pressure medication, but should be able to take fewer tablets, reducing potential side-effects.

At this stage, the operation will be offered only to patients whose blood pressure is difficult to control although research is being carried out worldwide to explore the effects of this treatment on people with less severe hypertension.

Talking about hypertension Dr. Jeilan added:

“High blood pressure affects as many as thirty percent of East African adults.

“In most cases patients do not know that they have the condition; it is usually ‘silent’ and may go unnoticed.

In people with hypertension, the heart needs to work harder to send the blood around the body, and this eventually makes the heart weaker.

The increased pressure also damages the walls of the blood vessels, and this can result in a haemorrhage or blockage, causing a stroke or heart attack.

Having high blood pressure can double your chance of suffering from a heart attack or stroke and also put you at risk of kidney disease and visual impairment.

The chances of having high blood pressure increase with drinking excessive alcohol, or caffeine based drinks such as coffee and tea, eating a lot of salt, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, being overweight, not exercising regularly, smoking, having a family member with high blood pressure, or being of African descent.”

When first diagnosed, doctors will usually advise patients to adopt lifestyle changes such as cutting back on alcohol and salt.

If this is not effective, medication is usually needed for life.

Medications however do carry potential side-effects, including headaches, tiredness, cough, dizziness and impotence, which many patients struggle with. Medication is unable to control five to ten per cent of people with high blood pressure.

Up until now, these patients have had no alternatives and have had to live with the risk of an imminent heart attack or stroke.

Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH)-Nairobi has been granted the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, which is the highest international hospital accreditation.

AKUH is the first hospital in East Africa and one of six hospitals in the entire continent of Africa to receive this coveted accreditation. "It is a proud moment for Aga Khan University Hospital's staff and all physicians who practice at AKUH and a significant achievement in the region where patients no longer have to travel abroad to receive world-class care now available at AKUH" a statement from Nairobi sent to The Guardian On Sunday on Friday read in part.

The JCI accreditation, administered out of Chicago, USA, is an external validation that AKUH is providing the highest quality of patient care and safety in line with international peer hospitals. "It is a testimony of our commitment to patient safety and highest quality as measured by international standards," the statement added.

The standards also cover safety and proper maintenance of the facility, all
equipment, and protocols for emergency procedures, amongst several others.

AKUH was the first hospital in the region to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification, which is now a common practice in most hospitals in Kenya. "AKUH is pleased to lead the effort for other hospitals to strive to achieve JCI accreditation, which will raise the quality standards of patient care in Kenya and across East Africa" the statement added. Established in 1958 Aga Khan University Hospital is a private, not-for- profit teaching and referral institution that provides secondary and tertiary level health care services.

In 2011 the hospital opened the state-of-the-art Heart and Cancer Centre to offer comprehensive quality cardiac and cancer care with the most advanced technology and the latest therapeutic and rehabilitation services delivered by a multidisciplinary team of experts.

The hospital's Patient Welfare Programme provides financial assistance to qualifying patients who are not able to afford such world class care.

The first batch of any institution is usually the most loyal to its alma mater’s growth, as proved by the inaugural class of the Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Medical College which contributed US$500,000 for an endowment fund to support education programmes and research at the institute.

Dr Zubia Mumtaz of the Class of 1988 presented this gift to AKU president Firoz Rasul at the 25th anniversary reunion organised at the campus on Friday.

25-year journey

The year 1983 was a very different time in the arena of medical education. “One could only go to a public medical colleges or the Army Medical College,” recalled Dr Saad Shafqat, a neurologist and writer.

In the public sector, the situation was very bad because the country was struggling during the military rule of General Ziaul Haq. Public institutions were failing to finish classes on time, leading to extend a five-year medical degree to seven or even eight years.

In these circumstances, when an advertisement came out for a new medical college in the private sector, medical students and their parents were ecstatic. While around 4,000 students applied in 1983, only 50 were selected for the inaugural batch. “Since the campus would take another two years to be constructed, we had to take classes at the second floor of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan in Defence Housing Authority.”

Dr Shafqat also found his life partner at the university, Dr Anita Zaidi, who is a professor and chairperson at the AKU’s department of paediatrics and child health.

At the time of medical college’s inception, Dr Zaidi had already enrolled for about six months at the Dow Medical College, but like most of the other 49 students, she left her college for the fledgling institution.

Life after AKU

Dr Rubina Sial, a psychiatrist currently based in Georgia, took a five-year hiatus after graduating as she moved to the United States but recalled that AKU’s credentials spoke volumes of her ability even after the break. “Imagine doing nothing for five years but still being given the opportunity to work based on the name of your merely 10-year-old institution,” said Sial.

“We felt that this was a special group of people,” recalled Shams Kassim-Lakha, the founding president of the university while talking to The Express Tribune. “They were like the first child to us — you always give more attention to your first child. The faculty was very anxious to devise the best possible standards while engaging with them.”

The first batch graduated in 1988 and most of them went all across the world for postgraduate training programmes, followed by getting associated with medical practice.

In this way, after a span of 25 years, explained Dr Shafqat, the class had almost scattered and most of the graduates were not even in touch with each other. “Perhaps, it was this 25-year milestone which gave us this feeling that maybe we should now start doing something for the university which gave us so much,” he added.

Around a year back, efforts were put together to give a gift to the alma mater. Those who had lost touch were eventually tracked down and an e-mail group was set up.

The premier batch’s urge to give back eventually ballooned up to half-a-million dollars with contributions from more than 80 per cent of its members, earmarked for education and research initiatives. “The AKU’s medical students, residents, fellows and graduate students, who wish to conduct a research study or other academic symposiums, can apply to this fund,” explained Dr Shafqat, adding that the endowment will also provide an opportunity for the non-AKU physicians and other allied health professionals practising in Pakistan to attend the university-sponsored non-degree clinical education and training programmes.

The first graduating class of the Aga Khan University's Medical College, the Class of 1988, has contributed $500,000 for an endowment fund to support education programmes and research at the University in Pakistan. The endowment will support the activities of medical students, residents, fellows and graduate students at the University, as well as provide an opportunity for non-AKU physicians and other allied health professionals practising in Pakistan to attend AKU-sponsored non-degree clinical education and training programmes.

It will also allow AKU to invest in a variety of research projects. The generous gift was announced at the class reunion on December 20, 2013. With contributions from more than 80 percent of its members, the Class of '88 gift has surpassed the gift of any other class. It is a testimony of their support of the University's bold vision for the future, to expand into the liberal arts and create seven new graduate schools across two continents.

"The Class of 1988 has set the bar higher than ever before", said Dr Saad Shafqat, Professor of Neurology at AKU and an alumnus from the inaugural class. He appreciated the efforts of doctors Tauqir Goraya, Anita Zaidi and Shahid Shafi who served on the Executive Committee, for motivating their colleagues to contribute to the gift. AKU President Firoz Rasul thanked the Class for their gift, seeing this as an opportunity for alumni to renew their commitment to the University's future. Graduates of 1988 from within and outside Pakistan, attended the ceremony, along with the Faculty of Health Sciences staff.-PR

Coastweek-- Aga Khan University Hospital has opened a state of the art dental clinic which is located on the 3rd floor of the Park Place Building at the junction of second Parklands Avenue and Limuru Road overlooking City Park forest.

The facility consists of six dental consultation rooms, a large reception area furnished with a comfortable waiting area with Wi-Fi and a big screen TV that shows educational material on dental health. It is open from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday and from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. on Saturdays.

The new outlet at Park Place is an addition to the other dental clinic at Aga Khan University Hospital which has four chairs and is open six times a week.

Dr. Linus Ndegwa, a Dental Surgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital, said, “We have six modern dental chairs at this clinic which are computerized and connected to digital x-ray machines and individualized screens.

“This enables dentists to take x-rays, plan treatment and take pictures of the patients and show patients the outline and condition of the teeth during treatment sessions on the screen thus enabling a paperless environment.

“We also have a surgical room where minor operations are carried out. These procedures are all done under local anaesthesia by highly qualified dentists.”

“Our dentists also give advice on oral hygiene and diet. This facility is open to both adults and children.”

“Plans are underway to open a dental laboratory at this clinic which will be used to make dentures, crowns, bridges and braces.

“Initially these services will be accessed by the Aga Khan University Hospital outlets which have dental clinics. Afterwards, we shall provide services for private dental clinics which require these devices.” A separate x-ray room has already been established and will soon have the latest top of the range 3D x-ray machine.

“This provides dentists with a more complete view of the facial anatomy from almost every angle and perspective.

"It also gives the most detailed information, accurate diagnosis and precision for teeth treatment.”

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday welcomed the keen interest and investment of $500 million by the Aga Khan University management in the Education City project to be established in Karachi in due course of time.

He said the project would prove to be one of the best educational facilities in the country and would attract educational organisations of international standard to invest and benefit the students and educational fraternity in Pakistan.

The chief minister was talking to President Aga Khan University Firoz Rasul, who called on him along with his delegation at the CM House to discuss the modalities of the project.

He said efforts were being made to complete the project within the tenure of this PPP-led government in Sindh. He asked the university management to start working on their part and take the lead in the implementation of the project. He said once the Aga Khan University started work, the other stakeholders would follow suit.

Lauding the services being rendered by the Aga Khan Foundation in the fields of health and education in Sindh, the chief minister pledged full government support for the execution of the project. He further said that the government was taking keen interest in providing quality education and in this regard the Education City project was conceived and would be implemented in due course of time.

He said land had been allotted for the project and its master plan had also been completed, which would be notified very soon. “This project will not only cater to the needs of local students for qualitative education but will also attract the students from other countries and will ultimately convert the city into international hub of education facility.”

The project is expected to generate income and employment opportunities for the people of Sindh.

President Aga Khan University Firoz Rasul told the CM that the master plan on the part of their organisation had been completed and they had planned to invest $500 million in the Education City project and $150 million in its Stadium Road campus.

He said that his management had also agreed to help the communities neighbouring Education City in providing quality education, adding that the Aga Khan University management was ready to promote social structure in Sindh for the betterment of the people of the province.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 - Karachi—Agence Française de Développement, the French finance institution for development, will be loaning US $16 million to the Aga Khan Hospital and Medical College Foundation to support its expansion of infrastructure facilities on the Stadium Road Campus in Karachi.

A Memorandum of Understanding confirming the pledge was signed by Mr Denis Cassat, Country Head AFD, and Mr Al-Karim Haji, Director General and Chief Financial Officer, AKU, on April 21, 2014. Ambassador Philippe Thiébaud and Mr Firoz Rasul, President, AKU presided over the ceremony.

This investment will refinance and fund infrastructure projects. Infrastructure financing include the induction of a third 1.75MW gas generator to reduce dependency on erratic city power and a 16MW grid station – to be completed this year – that will become the primary source of electricity for the University and its teaching hospital. There are also plans to recover waste heat from the gas generators and to increase the efficiency of the existing plant from 37 per cent to more than 75 per cent.

As part of its continued efforts to ensure the safe disposal of infectious waste, the University Hospital has installed a sophisticated incinerator that minimizes exposure to waste while meeting European Union clean air emission standards; by-product heat from the incinerator is used to generate almost 50 per cent of the hot water requirements for the campus. To meet the needs of the ambitious plans to expand health care services, a second incinerator is planned for 2015. Proceeds from the refinancing will be used to fund a new ambulatory care building, neonatal, medical and paediatric intensive care units, a centre for innovation in medical education, a centre for early childhood development, a new private wing, and a new office building. This loan is part of AKU’s US $150 million investment in expanding academic programmes and improving access to quality health care in Pakistan, a visible statement of commitment to the country.

About Agence Française de Développement

AFD is the French international development agency providing development financing. AFD finances sustainable development projects carried by government local authorities, public companies, and the private and associative sectors on five continents with primacy given to Africa which receives two-thirds of AFD commitments—and in overseas France.The Group boasts a network of 70 in-country field offices and bureaus, including nine offices in France’s overseas provinces and one in Brussels. Among the Group’s 1,742 employees, 711 work in the field offices.

KARACHI- The Aga Khan University clinical laboratories have introduced an automated hematology system, the first of its kind in Pakistan. The new automated equipment having a capacity to test 150 samples per hour has not only enhanced the accuracy of results but also increased the turnaround.

Hematology, the study of blood and blood diseases, is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of a large number of diseases and the new system is facilitating doctors in prompt diagnosis and treatment of their patients.

Introducing this system in the section of hematology was a daunting endeavor since laboratory diagnostics is a constantly evolving field. Therefore, this system has been designed to meet current testing needs and is also configured to handle future demands, said Dr Bushra Moiz, Associate Professor, Pathology and Microbiology.

According to Dr Mohammad Khurshid, Professor of Haematology, initiation of advanced automated services in hematology at AKU will provide patients with rapid results of their tests and assist physicians to interpret results in the light of more reliable clinical information.

President Yoweri Museveni has commended the Aga Khan University Hospital for its investment in healthcare provision. Speaking when he toured the institution's Acacia Medical Centre during the official opening of the Acacia Mall where the medical centre is situated, Museveni urged the hospital to expand its services. The clinic is one of 49 satellites across East Africa, with four already in Kampala. The facility offers general consultation, dental services, diagnostic imaging services including general X-ray and ultrasound, laboratory services and a well-stocked pharmacy.

Coastweek-- The Aga Khan University library has emerged the overall winner of the “Maktaba Award” (Library of the Year Award) for 2014.

This award was presented to the University at a colorful ceremony presided over by Dr. Auma Obama (President Obama’s sister) at the Louis Leakey Auditorium, National Museums of Kenya.

The Aga Khan University (AKU) took top honors in the Academic Libraries category and also scooped the overall prize for “Kenya Library of the Year”.

The selection covered 77 libraries who had submitted entries for the prize.

Peter Gatiti, the Aga Khan University Regional Librarian, explained, “The AKU library won over much larger university libraries essentially because of the quality of services provided, advanced use of technology and the services we render to the community beyond AKU. The selection process was rigorous and involved a series of impromptu visits, interviews with staff and library users, as well as a detailed examination of the services provided.”

The Maktaba Award is organized and supported by the Kenya Library Association, the GOETHE INSTITUT, Book Aid International, Worldreader, The Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation and Radio Africa Group.

The award aims to recognize excellence in the provision of library and information services in Kenya. The introduction of a national library award in Kenya was driven by the realization of the key role that information plays in the modern world and the fact that Kenya is part of the global information society.

The library received a 50,000 Ks cash prize and a plaque for the “Academic Library of the year” award. For the Maktaba award (Overall Library of the Year), it received a trophy, a further 300,000 Ks cash award, an online label printer and 200 books in life sciences.

KARACHI: Two conjoined twins have been successfully separated after a surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, the first of its kind at the hospital and in Karachi.

Their parents I*, a police official, and U*, residents of Pano Akil, expressed their delight after the successful surgery as they had lost all hope of having the procedure done.

Conjoined twins are rare, their estimated incidence is one in 250,000 of live births. In this particular case, S* and M*, were joined from the lower breastbone to the upper abdomen, and shared a liver.

For the first two weeks of the girls’ lives, I* went from doctor to doctor looking for help. He even travelled to Karachi, where doctors at a hospital told him that nothing could be done at the time and to return when the girls were older. Distressed but not defeated, I* returned home with his daughters.

When the girls were around three and half months old, I* and U* once again found themselves in Karachi where a doctor referred them to the Aga Khan University Hospital.

“When we received the two girls, we were happy to see that at least one of them had been progressing at par with other children in the same age group,” said Dr Zafar Nazir, the paediatric surgeon who treated the twins.

Dr Nazir is optimistic about their future though one of the twins, with a congenital heart defect, will have to return for further surgery.

The girls were admitted and a multidisciplinary team of paediatric surgeons, radiologists, cardiologists, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, nurses and operating room technicians was drawn together to discuss possible surgical scenarios and equipment. The team comprised around 45. The planning phase of the surgery took about a month and a half in which the group broke up into smaller specialised teams, each with a particular role in the surgery. A day before the actual surgery, the teams did a full ‘dress rehearsal’ to check if all aspects of the procedure had been addressed.

On December 1, a 20-member surgical team headed by Dr Nazir, and assisted by Dr Arif Mateen Khan, Dr Saqib Qazi and Dr Ahmed Vaqas (paediatric surgery), Dr Fauzia Khan, Dr Faisal Shamim and Dr Hamid (paediatric anaesthesia) performed the seven-hour procedure. Five days later, the girls were shifted to the special care unit of the paediatric ward.

For U* and I* there is a reason to hope once again that their daughters will grow up to live normal and happy lives. “We were told that this was not possible in Pakistan,” recollects U*. “But my husband and I clung to the hope that somehow, somewhere we would find a cure, and we did when we came to this hospital.”

The Aga Khan University Hospital inaugurated its newly expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit today with the support of English Biscuits Manufacturers (Pvt.) Limited. The expanded NICU will offer emergency, inpatient and intensive care treatments for babies born early, providing the best possible specialised care to its neonate patients.

EBM has generously funded the Rs 200 million expansion, and are the first partners in the Aga Khan University and University Hospital’s effort to increase private fundraising to expand its academic and clinical facilities at its Stadium Road campus.

“Welcoming a baby is such an exciting time. For parents of babies born early, however, it is a time of anxiety. Families and their new additions need specially trained medical staff, special equipment and special understanding to survive this period. We are delighted to partner with AKUH on this initiative,” said Dr Zeelaf, Chairperson, EBM at the inaugural ceremony. “We, as a company, have always been conscious of our social responsibility and have endeavored to institutionally strengthen initiatives for public welfare.”

Every year, 600 babies are referred to the NICU - from AKUH and other hospitals in the city - because many babies are born early, with low birth weights or with complications - are at risk for a variety of neurologic and developmental problems in childhood.

The Level III NICU at the University Hospital, gifted by Rashada and Khawar Butt of EBM, provides the highest level of care for critically small or ill newborns. There are four wards with five incubators in each, four isolation rooms with two isolation rooms for babies with infections and two ‘negative’ isolation rooms for babies with communicable infections. The new 9,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will allow the University Hospital to care for more babies at risk.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Muhammad Sohail Salat, Chair, NICU Commission Group, AKUH, thanked the EBM team for this help in meeting the specialised needs of preterm babies in the city. He spoke of how the new NICU, with double the number of beds and nursing staff, has realized University Hospital’s vision of helping more than 1,000 pre-term newborns every year, allowing the hospital to apply new technological advances in newborn intensive care in a family-centered environment.

“We are extremely grateful for this magnificent donation from EBM. This was the first gift in our campaign to raise substantial funds from the corporate sector in Pakistan for the University Hospital,” said Firoz Rasul, President of Aga Khan University. “Such generosity enables us to initiate specialty and acute care services to provide world class healthcare in Pakistan.” PR

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 – The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) is set to provide 400 radiotherapy treatment sessions free of charge to cancer patients following a breakdown of radiotherapy machines at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), to lessen the crisis there.

The Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri pointed out that the sessions will be for patients whose treatment was interrupted by the breakdown of equipment at KNH.

“Following the breakdown of the radiotherapy machines at the Kenyatta National Hospital last week, the Ministry of Health begun negotiations with private hospitals to provide radiotherapy treatment to cancer patients whose treatment was interrupted by the breakdown,” he stated.

Muraguri revealed that the private hospital is also working closely with KNH to identify needy children on the waiting list in order to provide them with the treatment.

“It is worth noting that AKUH has a long standing working relationship with KNH, whereby cancer patients from KNH are provided with highly subsidized radiotherapy treatment at AKUH. The Ministry is pleased to inform the public that a new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) is being installed. Patients are also accessing radiotherapy treatment in other hospitals,” he said.

A linear accelerator is used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer and is also used to treat all organs of the body by delivering high-energy x-rays to the region with tumours.

Muraguri further indicated that the ministry is working on a financing plan to optimise the existing radiotherapy capacity of the private sector through a public-private partnership arrangement.

“In this strategy, patients from the public sector are going to access radiotherapy treatment facilities in the private sector with support from the national government,” he stated.

KNH is the only public health centre that treats cancer and has only two radiotherapy machines.

A single radiotherapy session at KNH costs Sh500 while private hospitals charge between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000.

The 2014 Economic Survey ranked cancer as the third leading killer in Kenya after malaria and pneumonia.

KARACHI: A new operating theatre suite with three state-of-the-art integrated operating rooms was inaugurated Friday at the Aga Khan University Hospital against a cost of US$3.35 million.

President, Aga Khan University (AKU) Firoz Rasul, addressing an informal ceremony on the occasion said it is the first suite in Karachi with integrated operating rooms (ORs) and part of the University Hospital’s ambitious plans to improve the quality of the health care services and surgical facility it offers.

He also expressed his gratitude to the local donors mainly, Bashir Dawood and his family for their generous donation that made the project possible and said the ORs are part of the Aga Khan University’s campaign to raise funds from the corporate sector in the country so as to improve access to quality health care.

“Bringing this technology enables us to deliver the highest levels of patient care,” said AKU President.

The project, claimed to offer benefits to patients, their surgeons and the teaching community locally and elsewhere in the region, covers approximately 9,600 square feet, comprises the suite with three ORs, six recovery rooms, a holding bay for four patients, a room for families and other spaces.

“These ORs are designed to increase patient safety,” said Dr. Jamsheer Talati, Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Surgery, AKU.

Each integrated OR has centralised control of the environment and features include instant access to patient information, high definition pictures such as x-rays available on large screens, video capture and streaming of the procedure in real time and other systems.

In addition, the ORs have many safety features against infections, reducing the risk of infection for patients.

They are especially beneficial to patients due to their less invasive approach to many surgeries, shorter hospital stays and shorter recovery time.

Surgeons using this operating room can not only record procedures for training purposes, but can also live stream to students and doctors anywhere via the Internet; offering students and others in remote locations, opportunities to enhance their learning experience.

First Lady Esther Lungu says she will continue to engage President Edgar Lungu for continued upgrade of equipment for cancer treatment in Zambia

Mrs. Lungu says it is important that facilities pertaining to treatment of cancer are well equipped.

The First Lady was speaking to ZNBC’s Pennipher Nyirenda after touring the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi with other First Ladies that are part of the 2015 stop cervical, breast and prostate cancer conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mrs. Lungu who was impressed with the facilities at the Aga Khan Hospital heart and cancer surgery center expressed delight that the Ministry of Health team led by Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya were also able to see the facilities available.

Mrs. Lungu is later expected to join other first ladies for a state banquet at State House hosted by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his wife Magaret

19th August 2015EmailPrint
Dr. Mustaafa Bapumia, Medical Director at Aga Khan hospitalThe government has been commended for efforts to increase the availability of medical specialists in the country saving Tanzanians the expensive trip abroad for treatment through the Master of Medicine programme.

“The government is working hard to increase the number specialists and we are happy to partner with the ministry to meet this goal,” said Dr. Mustaafa Bapumia, the Medical Director at Aga Khan hospital.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Dar es Salaam, he said the Aga Khan University (AKU) in partnership with the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam has expanded their Post Graduate Medical Education (PGME) to now include Master of Medicine programmes (MMed) in Surgery and Internal Medicine.

“These are in addition to the already existing Master of Medicine programme in Family Medicine,” he detailed.

The director said to efficiently conduct the new programmes, the hospital and university must expand their facilities to accommodate the students and allow for supervised hands on training.
He commended the French Development Agency for their 100bn/- soft loan support handed to fund the expansion efforts.

“Another 60bn/- was granted by His Highness the Aga Khan,” he added.
Dr. Bapumia said of the funding, 7bn/- will go into a training programme for Tanzanian cardiologists, oncologists and nurses.
He also noted that Aga Khan University has been training Tanzanian medical students since 2005 adding to the country’s number of specialists.

Present at the conference was one such graduate who is now a specialist at the Muhimbili National Hospital, Dr John Rwegasha, head of the gastroenterology and herpetology department at the hospital.

“The training and care I received at the university has got me to where I am...the doctors here are renowned and respected for excellence and as such I was well received when I applied elsewhere,” he attested.

Dr Nuruddin Lakhani, Paediatrician and Director of Post Graduate Medical Education explained that the University’s admissions policy is merit based and highly competitive, accepting applicants from across East Africa.

“The commencement date for the new programmes will be January 2016 and the duration of training is 4 years,” he detailed noting that applications are open until August 28th, 2015.

“The University is committed to increasing capacity and strengthening healthcare systems in Tanzania through high impact training programmes. Applicants from Tanzania are thus encouraged to apply,” he said.

Dr Lakhani further noted that the training is practice based and residents will receive a stipend plus benefits. Graduates will be trained to take up leadership roles in raising the quality of care and strengthening health systems.

Summing up, he announced that the university and hospital are planning an open day that is for interested candidates to view the facilities and meet the staff and residents.

The Internal Medicine and Surgery programmes were recently approved by the Tanzania Commission for Universities this following the Aga Khan University receiving full charter as an International University in Tanzania.

The recent and ongoing expansion of Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam to provide tertiary care services will further enhance its clinical programs. Comprehensive cardiology, oncology and neurosciences will be added to the existing services in diagnostic, women and child health, trauma and critical care.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

* AKUH director general says no other 760-bed hospital even in the US or Canada serving that high number of patients

Staff Report
September 04, 2015
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KARACHI: Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) Karachi Hans Kedzierski has said that the hospital is serving more than 80,000 patients yearly, adding that no other hospital of 760 beds even in the US or Canada was serving that high number of patients.

He was speaking at a programme titled ‘Aga Khan University Hospital (Karachi): human, scientific, ambitious’, jointly organised by 21st Century Business & Economic Club (21st CBEC) and Overseas Universities Alumni Club (OUAC).

Former National Assembly speaker and prominent politician Elahi Baksh Somoro was the chief guest on the occasion.

Kedzierski discussed many aspects of the hospital and told the participants that the AKUH was expensive but “we say the treatment we provide is more valuable than the charges we receive”.

“Our clinics are serving more than a million patients yearly. We have 1,220 collection points all over the country and they carry out nine million tests per year.”

He said that the hospital staff were very much competitive and “we try our level best to give the best possible treatment to our patients”. He said that nurses trained at the hospital’s attached nursing school were of international standard.

During the question and answer session, he praised the AMAN ambulance service and also noted the suggestions given by the audience. Replying to a question, he said that it was possible to create hospital like AKUH, “but how will you get the experience of 36 successful years?” Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chairman SM Muneer also appreciated the services of AKUH. He said it was the best hospital he had ever been to in the country.

He said that the AKUH had a wonderful system of utilising Zakat for the treatment of poor people. He further said the because of government efforts, the situation of law and order was improving in Karachi and “I hope it will improve in coming days”.

He also congratulated law enforcement agencies and the army for eradicating Taliban and extremists from South Waziristan and other areas. The programme was attended by many dignitaries of the city, including councils general of France and Switzerland. Chief Guest Elahi Baksh Somoro and AKUH CEO Hans Kedzierski were given shields.

Aga Khan University has maintained its position as the top medical university in Pakistan in the Higher Education Commission’s latest ranking of public and private universities in the country.

The parameters considered in a comprehensive selection process included quality assurance, teaching quality, research, finance and facilities, and social integration or community development.

To demonstrate standing by subject, HEC ranked universities in six categories, which included general, engineering and technology, business education, agriculture and veterinary, medical, and arts and design.

In the medical category, AKU was ranked the best followed by the University of Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Riphah International University, Isra University, King Edward Medical University, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, and Ziauddin University.

Announcing the rankings at a ceremony, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, HEC, said that ranking universities was a global practice undertaken to fuel competition in education, research and innovation.

The AKU’s Institute for Educational Development in East Africa (IEAD-EA) Director, Prof Joe Lugalla, said in the city over the weekend that reading culture aims to expand scope of knowledge.

“The books donation is part of our literacy project to six primary schools located in Dar es Salaam,” said Prof Lugalla during a ceremony to hand over the books.

The event was attended by teachers and pupils from two primary schools of Mnazini and Mwananyamala B. He mentioned other primary schools who benefited from the project as Mwananyamala B, Chang’ombe, Msasani A and B plus one which is yet to be selected.

Mr John Kavutwa, who is a Reading Club coordinator at Mnazini Primary School, said lack of library at Mnazini Primary School remains a major challenge to the literacy project which started in 2013.

“The literacy project has sharpened the reading skills of our pupils. But lack of library poses a challenge for preservation of the books,” he said. Mwananyamala B Primary School Head Teacher, Mr Emmanuel Temba, whose school is one of the beneficiaries of the literacy project, pointed out that the literacy project has uplifted the academic progress at the school.

“Our school has excelled by 100 per cent in previous national examinations thanks to the literacy project,” he observed. The literacy project coordinator at AKU, Prof Mary Oluga, said the project worth 15,000 US dollar (about 30m/-) has helped to develop social skills, adding that the project has helped to engage pupils and their parents in reading.

“Under the project parents have to read stories for their little kids while children in standard two and above have to read stories to their parents at home,” she said.

A RENEWED FOCUS ON TEACHER, TEACHING QUALITY AND LEARNING
LOCALISED MODELS AND PRACTICES

CONFERENCE THEME &#8203; KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

The theme selected for this year's conference is "A Renewed Focus on Teacher, Teaching Quality and Learning: Localised Models and Practices". Considering the vital impact of quality education experience on learning, the conference calls for “renewed focus” on three principal pillars of educational system including: teacher, teaching quality and learning. It aims to generate a comprehensive discourse on the three key elements with a particular focus on localised models and practices and associated challenges and opportunities for their implementation. Read more...